Y/N's POV

Exiting the train, me and Draco both got off, looked both sides before readjusting our suits like nothing had ever happened. I wanted to go back to help Harry but that would be too obvious. I felt bad for what I said, but it was all part of the act and I knew Harry would forgive me...hopefully.

"Where have you two been?" asked Snape as we trudged up to the gate, the carriages had stopped coming so me and Draco had to walk all the way there.

"Dealing with something Professor." Draco replied smoothly and without any other questions, Snape let us through, but not before Filch checked our bags.

Walking up to the castle, the two of us side by side, there was silence. We were going to enter the Great Hall late and all eyes would be on us, the Malfoy brothers.

"Was that necessary Draco?" I asked, referring to what had happened back on the train.

"Yes F/N, it was. Potter needs a reality check and know that not everything revolves around him." Draco replied, not looking at me but instead looking forward since we were approaching the entrance of the castle.

Walking through the entrance hall, we made a quick stop in the toilets to change out of our suit, we would be wearing our robes during the school day but then wearing our suits in our free time. Once we had changed into our robes we reached the closed doors that would reveal the Great Hall and without any hesitation, pushed them open.

Silence. All eyes were on us and then there was muttering and whispers of everyone talking about us. Not making eye contact with anyone, me and Draco walked confidently with no sign that everyone whispering things and rumours about us affected us.

"I heard their father's in prison..."

"Serves them right...Malfoy scum..."

"What do they think they're doing? How come they didn't come in with the others?"

"Probably doing something dodgy that'll land them in a family cell with their father."

"The Malfoy's aren't special...but they think they are."

Blocking the other murmurs from other students out, me and Draco sat down at the Slytherin table where Blaise, Pansy, Crabbe and Goyle were.

"Where were you?" asked Pansy.

"None of your business." I replied before filling my plate with some food. The sorting had finished and the feast had started. I made no attempt to look over at the Gryffindor table and I focused solely on my plate of food before I heard the noise of the Great Hall doors opening again.

In walked Harry, his face bloody but his nose seemingly fixed. I could hear Draco scoff and mutter something disapproving. The students all began whispering rumours to each other, people linking Harry's bloody face to our late arrival.

After minutes of other students whispering and talking about false rumours, everyone continued eating again and after all the plates were cleared, Dumbledore began his second speech of the night.

"The very best of evenings to you!" he said, smiling broadly, his arms opened wide as though to embrace the whole room.

I noticed that Dumbledore's right hand was as blackened and dead-looking as that something had cursed it. It was no normal injury, it was very Dark Magic. It was something to do with the ring he was wearing...

"Now...to our new students, welcome, to our old students, welcome back! Another year full of magical education awaits you and Mr Filch, our caretaker, has asked me to say that there is a blanket ban on any joke items bought at the shop called Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes."

I laughed quietly to myself.

"Those wishing to play for their House Quidditch teams should give their names to their Heads of House as usual. We are also looking for new Quidditch commentators, who should do likewise."

I made a mental note to myself to start preparing the trials since I had the responsibility of Quidditch captain.

Dumbledore continued his speech. "We are pleased to welcome a new member of staff this year, Professor Slughorn-" Slughorn stood up and waved to the students, "-is a former colleague of mine who has agreed resume his old post of Potions master."

My eyes widened. Potions? That was Snape's role...which meant...

"Professor Snape, meanwhile," said Dumbledore, raising voice so that it carried over all the muttering, "will be taking the position of Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher."

Snape, who was sitting on Dumbledore's right, did not stand up his mention of his name; he merely raised a hand in lazy acknowledgement of the applause from the Slytherin table. Draco, who had shown no interest in Dumbledore's speech, even clapped a couple times for Snape's success.

Dumbledore cleared his throat. The whole hall had erupted in a buzz of conversation at the news that Snape had finally achieved his heart's desire. Seemingly oblivious to the sensational nature of the news he had just imparted, Dumbledore said nothing more about staff appointments, but waited a few seconds to ensure that the silence was absolute before continuing.

"Now, as everybody here knows, Lord Voldemort and his followers are once more at large and gaining in strength. I cannot emphasise strongly enough how dangerous the present situation is, and how much care each of us at Hogwarts must take to ensure that we remain safe. The castle's magical fortifications have been strengthened over the summer, we are protected in new and more powerful ways, but we must still guard scrupulously against carelessness on the part of any student or member of staff. I urge you, therefore, to abide by any security restrictions that you teachers might impose upon you, however irksome you might find them - in particular, the rule that you are not to be out of after hours. I implore you, should you notice anything strange or suspicious within or outside the castle, to report it to a member of staff immediately. I trust you to conduct yourselves, always, with the utmost regard for your own and others' safety."

Dumbledore's blue eyes swept over the students before he smiled once more. "But now, your beds await, as warm and comfortable as you could possibly wish, and I know that your top priority is to be well-rested for your lessons tomorrow. Let us therefore say good night. Pip pip!"

Getting up from my seat along with Draco and the other Slytherins, I cast an eye over to the Gryffindor table only to find that Harry, Hermione and Ron and quickly disappeared away.

Making my way to the Common Room with Draco, Blaise attempted to make conversation but we ignored him. Both me and Draco were silent all the way until we had made it to our dormitory. It was just the two of us since Blaise, Crabbe and Goyle decided they wanted to stay downstairs for just a little bit longer.

"How are you doing the task?" I asked Draco.

At the mention of the task Voldemort had set him, Draco started to act scared and nervous. "I got this cursed necklace the other day, I'm going to try get it to him through a student."

"When are you planning to do this?" I asked, studying Draco carefully.

"Soon."

I nodded and I looked around at our dormitory, it seemed like Draco wanted to keep his plan mostly to himself, perhaps part of him doubted me and doubted whether I would tell Harry. I wouldn't tell him, I couldn't tell him.

Excusing myself from the dormitory, I made my way to the showers. Stripping myself of my clothing, I entered the shower and hot water poured over me and steam was surrounding me. I inspected the scars and bruises on my body but what caught my attention the most was the mark burnt onto my skin. The Dark Mark.

I didn't know what had come over me but my mind was flowing with emotions and I began crying, why had my life come to this? What had I ever done that was so bad that I deserved to be punished like this. This breakdown that I was having was the first time in months that I displayed as much emotion as I was displaying right now. Maybe everything that I ignored over summer, every problem that I forced out of my mind, was finally catching up to me.

The water pouring on my skin was almost burning me, but it didn't burn as much as the Dark Mark on my skin. That was something that I would never be able to get rid of, I would have to live with it forever.

The mark was dark, it was prominent, Voldemort was powerful and he was ready to do whatever he needed to do to take over the Wizarding World. As soon as I finished my shower, I changed into pyjamas. Previously, I would either wear a short-sleeved t-shirt, a vest or nothing along with joggers but now I found myself wearing a long-sleeved t shirt just to hide the mark. It wasn't something that, unlike Draco, I was proud to show off to everyone.

Returning back to the dorm, I saw that the other three had join us and were all gathered around Draco.

"You-you really joined him then?" Blaise said, looking at the Dark Mark Draco was showing them.

"Yeah, I did. He even set me a special task." Draco said proudly, he was enjoying this attention.

"What use does he have for someone like you?" Blaise said, looking at Draco curiously.

Draco smirked. "You'll see."

Blaise turned to me. "Did you join him too F/N?"

I didn't reply, I didn't even look at him. Instead, I walked over to my bed, pulled the curtains so that my bed was hidden from the others and laid myself down. Staring at the ceiling, thinking.

Why the hell was my life so fucking hard?